EPA Highlights New Climate Change Data in Latest Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Environmental Protection Agency released the Fifth Edition of Climate Change Indicators in the United States earlier this week. The report presents new data on the ongoing impacts of climate change on the U.S. environment and population. New features include an indicator on Marine Heat Waves and a section on Heat-Related Workplace Deaths.

“EPA’s Climate Change Indicators report shows the climate crisis affecting every American more intensely,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires are now more common, harming health and causing costly damage. Updated data help us track these changes and inform our efforts to confront the crisis.”

The Fifth Edition highlights data from 57 indicators, organized around key themes like Greenhouse Gases, Extreme Events, and Ocean Impacts. Since 2010, EPA has updated its online resource regularly to present the latest climate data.

EPA collaborates with over 50 data contributors to compile these indicators, showing climate change’s growing impact on health, society, and ecosystems. Key findings include:

• Global and U.S. Temperature: 2023 was the warmest year on record worldwide, with unusually hot summer days and nights increasing in the U.S.
• Heat Waves in U.S. Cities: Heat waves are more frequent, with the season lasting 46 days longer than in the 1960s.
• Heat-Related Workplace Deaths: From 1992 to 2022, 986 U.S. workers died from heat exposure, with construction workers accounting for 34% of these deaths.
• Sea Surface Temperature: Rising sea surface temperatures continue to climb, with the past three decades being the warmest since 1880.
• Marine Heat Waves: Marine heat waves are becoming more intense and frequent in most U.S. coastal waters.
• Marine Species Distribution: Warming waters are causing species like American lobster and black sea bass to shift northward.
• Coastal Flooding: Tidal flooding is now five times more common than in the 1950s.
• Wildfires: The area burned by wildfires has increased significantly since the 1980s.
• Growing Season Length: The growing season in the contiguous 48 states has increased by more than two weeks since the 20th century.
• Snowpack: The snowpack season has shortened by 15 days on average since 1982.
• Arctic Sea Ice: The melt season for Arctic sea ice has grown by 37 days since 1979.

Understanding and addressing climate change is crucial for protecting health and the environment. The Fifth Edition provides extensive evidence of climate change’s impact, underscoring the need for action to build resilient infrastructure, protect public health, and advance environmental justice.

Read the full report here.